The Black Veiled Rose
The next day, I found myself awakened by two rambunctious toddlers. Chuckling at their antics to wake me, I slid out of the bed that I rented at the inn in the village. I had lived at the inn ever since the elderly couple that owned it first took me in, almost three years ago.
"Hin-taaan!" The younger of the tots, Tori, whined. She was two, while her older brother, Haruka, was just three. I quietly laughed and bent down to mess with her hair, but had been stopped halfway by Haruka attaching himself to my leg.
"Yeah, Hin-tan! Come play wif us!" He smiled big and looked up at me pleadingly.
"Alright, alright!" I said, laughing happily.
Squatting down to Haruka's height, I told him, "Go wait outside, and I'll meet you in a second." Before watching him run off the go find Tori and drag her outside.
Going over to the dresser that was located in the room, i pulled out a short summer kimono. It was a light blue color with a few koi fish scattered about it. The koi had a splash of shiny substance on their backs, and had a small glass bead for the eye. All in all, it was a very beautiful kimono, but it came with a price. It was mid-calf length and had short sleeves.
As I was brushing my hair out, I thought of the visitors. It wasn't that often that people came through the town, with us being closde to the Sound village and everyone's fear of Orochimaru and all. It was night, but i was pretty sure the cloaks- for they had to be to blow like that- were black.
God...It can't be them!...
As the door slammed open, Kura stood up from the cavern's floor.
"What is it this time?" She sanpped at the intruder, not noticing who it was. Slowly glancing around, she noted a hint of white slightly abover her head.
"S-sorry Konan-sama! It will never happen agin, I-I promise!" She bowed her head in shame and submittal. Konan just looked at her with sympathy, handed her a letter, and walked out leaving Kura alone again.
"...Th-this can't be true!..." Kura said quietly, having read the letter.
no one ever leaves the akatsuki and lives...
I snapped out of it, walked out the door, and down the stairs to the first floor. Hearing giggles, I followed them and found the kids with the owners of the hotel.
"Hey there Hinari-chan!" the elderly man, Keiichi, said in greeting.
For a man so old, he still has the heart and spirit of a kid.
I smiled at him and shook my long bangs out of my face. My hair was blood red, and past the middle of my back. The tots turned and squealed while running up to hug my legs.
"Come on guys, lets go to the park, and then we'll go for some ice cream."
Their eyes lit up t the mention of going out and I laughed while shuffling them out the doorway.